Anime villains are characters fans love to hate. Some of the best, most interesting characters (ironically) are the evildoers. However, some prickly situations in anime could have been solved if the heroes had just used a bit of common sense against the villains.

These villains didn’t have to be smart to succeed. Instead, the heroes gave them even the smallest victory by not using their brains to take them out quickly. Many things go into a decision when it comes to taking out a villain. Yet, for most of these ne’er-do-wells, their reigns of terror would have ended if anyone had stopped to think about a simpler solution in the first place.

10

Akito Sohma Would Have Lost Power If One Person Spoke Out Against Her In Fruits Basket

Akito Sohma is said to have a supernatural hold on all members under the Zodiac Curse in Fruits Basket. They heed her every beck and call despite how badly she treats them. They all claim that they are bound by the Curse. Yet, Momiji is still affected by the Curse when he stands up to her. This implies that any of them could have spoken out against her a long time ago.

This doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be any consequences. But one person standing up to Akito might have sewn the seeds of her downfall. It only takes one person to say something to start a conversation. The Sohmas didn’t truly need Tohru Honda. They simply needed to have enough courage (and support) to speak up.

9

Twice Didn’t Need To Die In My Hero Academia

Twice isn’t a strictly evil Villain in My Hero Academia. He’s exceedingly sympathetic. Many argue that he could have been swayed to the good side if he had simply been shown a bit of courtesy. Unfortunately, his loyalty to the Villains was solidified when Hawks’s betrayal was made known.

Twice was so upset that Hawks went behind his back as a double agent that he stubbornly fought for the Villains and eventually lost his life. If someone had only clued Twice in, or brought him to a safe house of some sort, his life could have been spared, and he might have become a Hero instead. As the adage goes, “kindness goes a long way”.

8

Jonathan Joestar Should Have Shot DIO Brando When He Had The Chance In JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

DIO Brando wasn’t given every opportunity in life like Jonathan Joestar was, but he was close to it. After he was taken in by the Joestars, however, DIO was nothing but petty and ungrateful. He even went behind Jonathan’s back just because DIO was jealous of everything Jonathan had. This led to many confrontations, including a time when Jonathan had a gun trained on his former friend.

Yet, rather than pulling the trigger, Jonathan spares DIO. DIO then lives on to use a devilish mask and becomes a vampire. He is also the reason Jonathan dies at the end of Season 1. Had Jonathan only pulled the trigger, so many lives – including his own – could have been saved.

7

Light Yagami Should Never Have Found The Notebook In Death Note

Light Yagami is one of the most notorious villains in anime history. Though he didn’t start out evil, villainy slowly crept up on him after he began writing in the titular Death Note. Light starts going mad with power and thinks of himself as a god by the end of the series. However, all of Light’s transgressions could have been prevented if Ryuk hadn’t purposefully left the Death Note in the human world.

Ryuk is known for doing morally ambiguous things for entertainment. But letting a book of death loose in the human world is one of the gravest things he’s ever done. Had Ryuk exercised a little more common sense and been less impulsive, Japan would have been a safe place to live.

6

Momo Ayase & Okarun’s Dares Are What Started Everything In Dandadan

Teenagers get a bad rap for making less-than-ideal decisions. However, it couldn’t be more true in the case of Momo Ayase and Ken “Okarun” Takakura. If it hadn’t been for the two of them daring each other to believe in ghosts and aliens, then none of their powers or the mysterious beings would have come to fruition.

However, since Momo dared Okarun to go to a haunted tunnel, he became possessed by Turbo Granny. Likewise, Momo’s powers were only awakened because Okarun dared her to go to a well-known alien stomping ground, where she was abducted. Had these two not argued, and simply gone along with each other’s interests, they could have spared themselves, and others, a lot of heartache.

5

Eren Yeager Should Have Been Defeated After Showing His True Colors In Attack On Titan

Eren Yeager wasn’t always the genocidal monster he is at the end of Attack on Titan. He used to be just an idealistic kid who was tired of living in constant fear. With that said, once he turned into a Titan in front of everyone, people were immediately skeptical.

His friends pleaded for mercy. Even Eren made the case that he would use his taboo powers to fight against the other Titans. Others like Captain Levi doubted this, but the decision was made to keep Eren around and use his skills to help the military cause. If Levi and the other skeptics had been allowed to end Eren’s life, thousands upon thousands of more lives would have been saved in the process.

4

Junko Enoshima Would Have Gotten Bored If No One Started Killing In Danganronpa: The Animation

Junko Enoshima is the evil mastermind behind the High School Killing Game in Danganronpa: The Animation. She thrives on manipulation and tempts her classmates to kill each other with blackmail and fear for their families. However, the entire incident could have been put to rest if all the students had simply resisted the urge to murder.

Junko relishes in despair, which was caused each time a new student killed another. If they had simply not killed each other – regardless of the consequences – Junko would have gotten bored and moved on. It would be risky, for certain. Especially when she was threatening their families. Yet, abstaining from killing might have helped save the world in the long run.

3

The Z Fighters Let Frieza Transform In Dragon Ball Z

Frieza was, at the point of his introduction, the most powerful being in the galaxy. Despite knowing this, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin allowed him to transform multiple times, increasing his power during each metamorphosis. They spent more time talking than actually trying to hit him, which leads (temporarily) to Krillin, Piccolo, and Vegeta’s deaths.

If the four of them had ganged up on Frieza in his first form, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that they could have defeated them. Given the timing of things, they probably could have kept him busy until Goku arrived, who would have given the final blow. As is an issue with a lot of shonen anime, the fight with Frieza could have been a lot shorter if the heroes had shut their mouths and let their fists and feet do the talking.

2

The Girls Should Have Said No To Kyubey In Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Puella Magica Madoka Magica centers around a group of girls who are tasked with becoming Magical Girls to save the city from entities called wishes. In exchange, a small, stuffed-animal-like being named Kyubey agrees to grant them one wish. Many of the girls are hesitant at first. This is especially true since they don’t really know what Kyubey is. But one by one, they agree to his underhanded plan.

As it turns out, the “Witches” Kyubey asks them to defeat are really just other girls he has conned into becoming “Magical Girls”. Also, the wishes are not as straightforward as they seem. Had these girls simply not agreed to Kyubey’s plan, they could have avoided every bad thing that happened to them throughout the anime.

1

Yuji Itadori Should Have Been Killed To Stop Ryoumen Sukuna In Jujutsu Kaisen

Ryoumen Sukuna seems like an unstoppable foe at several points in Jujutsu Kaisen. He is stronger than any other Curse and has even defeated some of the most powerful beings throughout history. However, all of his tyranny could have been prevented if Yuji Itadori had been defeated first.

No one wants to think about the sweet and vivacious Itadori’s life ending. But it was the original plan by the elders, and it would have put an end to Sukuna coming back to full power. Instead, Jujutsu Sorcerers like Satoru Gojo encouraged him to eat more of Sukuna’s fingers – thereby giving Sukuna even more power. Not all the problems in Jujutsu Kaisen would be solved if Itadori had perished early on. But they also wouldn’t be nearly as bad either.